A Foreigner in a Foreign Land
by Mathelar
Summary: A last minute transfer student has entered into Kuoh Academy. A simple change that sends ripples with each passing day, things forever changing as two worlds inevitably come to a head. (Slight GTO Cross as well.)
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Do apologize if the update to the first chapter sends alerts out, merely updating and fixing things that I've noticed. Also, do note that I am still trying to get a consistent update schedule to this, so future apologies on any delay if RL rears its ugly head to delay things.

4/23/17: Punctuation, contextual fixes, added bottom A/N along with translations when not present in story text.

* * *

In a certain room of the school where the Kuoh Academy Student Council resided, a certain President heard high pitched screams, shaking her head in annoyance at what she knew was to come later.

"There they go again. Getting caught doing their immoral acts," she sighed irritably as she raised a hand to rub her forehead, the knuckles of her hand gently rustling her bangs of ebony.

Sona Sitri was, by all means, a patient woman. She had to be given her position, however, that did not mean she was a saint. She was certainly far from that, even the heiress of the Sitri Clan had her limits.

But for that certain group of boys, Sona considered the fall to the temptation of approving Murayama's request of castrating Issei and his cohorts.

She swore the bastards had been eyeing her when she wasn't looking.

"And does that surprise you still?" A crimson-haired girl in front of her giggled. "You know how they are," the girl drawled as she then moved a chess piece on the board.

"Your turn, Sona."

Sona moved her piece and had claimed one of her friend's own. "You seem to be getting better, Rias," she said, knowing there was no question that she and Rias had a bit of a rivalry going on between them, but they were still good friends.

A simple match between friends.

Rias gave her a smile, "Thanks," she replied before her smile turned into a sly grin, "One day, Sona. Mark my words, I will defeat you," the heir of the Gremory declared, cerulean eyes shining with determination. Ever since she was little, she and Sona had this fierce yet friendly rivalry. In a way, it was fitting for the two heiresses to compete so.

They would subtly compete over everything to see who was better, especially when it came to chess. It was apparent from the beginning that Sona had Rias beat in the realm of Chess, but she knew well enough that the Gremory heiress would not stop until she finally tasted the sweet nectar of victory.

"Maybe," the Sitri heiress finally said, the corners of her lips turning upwards into a soft smile. "But that day hasn't come yet," she continued as she moved her queen, "Checkmate, my old friend."

Rias just let out a sigh as she took the moment to go over their match. "Already had the match midway through, didn't you?" Rias mused before she rolled her eyes.

"That appears to be the case, Rias," the fellow heiress said vaguely, violet eyes glinting with amusement. Still, for all intents and purposes, she was getting better with each match. One day, the heiress would finally have her friend provide the same challenge she did in others in Chess.

"Hmm, well. Don't get too cocky, Sona." Rias commented as she stood to her feet, stretching briefly to get the kinks out from sitting for quite a while as her long crimson tresses of hair swayed gently with the motions. She basked in the momentary pleasure of having a more relaxed body, the bangs of loose hair that framed her face shined from the sunlight that pierced into the room from the window.

"Maybe someone could actually be a match for you," she continued before crossing her arms under her ample chest, accentuating the sheer difference the two rivals and friends had in terms of appearance.

"Hm, maybe," she replied before she cleaned up the board and its pieces. While it was true that Sona was glad she won, it was a victory that did not feel like one. Her friend was getting better by leaps and bounds but she was nowhere near her level yet.

Yet, that was the key word for the President of the Student Council.

The Sitri heiress wanted a challenge, no- craved a challenge.

Once she had been set to be married, but she called it off when her fiancé wasn't able to defeat her in a game of chess. The boy had been nice, courteous and dare she say it, attractive, but Sona made it clear to her parents that she would not marry someone who could not match wits with her, or at the very least, could give her a challenge that would keep her on her toes and make her work for it.

In short, she desired someone who could truly light a fire under her.

That, and she was too proud to admit defeat to anything less.

After she finished with the board, the Sitri heiress went to her desk to look over some documents and requests by the student body and faculty.

"I would have figured you were already done with the paperwork for the day, Sona," her friend teased as a sly grin bloomed on her face.

"Only natural that I get to indulge from time to time, Rias," she quipped in turn, a soft smile on her face.

'Let's see what we have here,' she thought to herself, flipping page after page of forms. It appeared to be the usual with the first term of the new school year. Some complaints here, some requests there, and to top it off requests to organize events. She raised an eyebrow before she nodded to herself, it always warmed her heart to see ambition in her fellow schoolmates.

Then she came to the part where she couldn't help but roll her eyes. Another request by the Kendo Club to hunt down the infamous Perverted Trio and roast them alive in a bonfire. It hadn't even been three days into the new school year and she'd gotten numerous requests like this one, she shook her head ruefully and knew that they wouldn't stop during her tenure as President.

'How glorious would that be to watch those breast addicted perverts to burn at the stake,' Sona thought to herself, her mind's eye already imagining the cries of pain and anguish those three rightfully deserved for dishonoring women in the manner they did. If only she could hear those cries in person, it would soothe the pain she had to deal with in their perverted goals.

But alas, the temptation had to be pushed aside and refused.

With great reluctance, Sona stamped 'Denied' on the request form, her gaze locked on the document as her eyes narrowed. Soon, she knew that retribution would arrive. For now, though, the female population of Kuoh Academy would have to endure the Perverted Trio's existence.

"Another request regarding the trio, I imagine from that glare, yes?" the Crimson-haired Ruin Princess asked, her grin changing into an outright smirk.

Sona simply glared at her fellow heiress in response.

At the least, she could get on with her day. Looking at the clock, she saw that it was a little over eleven so she still had time to rest as her classes didn't start until noon.

The President of the Student Council stretched her lithe form, relishing in the sensations as she saw fit to prepare to leave the room alongside her friend and maybe grab a snack before the next batch of her classes began.

That, however, would be put on hold for the moment as something caught her eye.

It was a folder that had a note attached to it.

She blinked and tilted her head slightly to the side in confusion, 'How did I not notice that before?' she asked herself. Sona picked up the folder and read the note.

Sona, I wish to inform you that we will be receiving a last minute transfer student in the coming days, all the necessary information is within the folder. When he arrives, I request that you show him around and give him a tour of the Academy grounds and ensure that he acclimatizes properly.

Thank you,  
Ryoko Sakurai Kuoh Academy Director

"A transfer student?" Sona was confused, trying to recall when exactly the folder had been placed in the past few days but nothing came up to her recollection. This was certainly a very last minute thing.

But who was this new transfer student?

"Oh? Someone actually managed to get in at the very last minute?" questioned Rias as she moved swiftly towards Sona's desk, her curiosity piqued.

The Sitri heiress opened the folder with a flick of her wrist, two pairs of eyes seeing for the first time who was going to be in their care for the new school year.

Several minutes passed in a comfortable silence as the duo read what lay before them, "Sounds like quite the character," mused Rias out loud for the two of them.

Sona couldn't disagree with her at all as she finished her reading, "A foreigner from Europe as well, and from quite the peculiar area," she replied with as she placed the folder back down on her desk.

Rias let out a sigh, "Can't disagree on that, would personally add a bit more emphasis on the conflicts from the nineties," she added as she placed a hand on her hip. "Would you want my assistance in helping our new Senpai get used to the academy?" she asked her friend, cerulean eyes locked on the lithe form of Sona.

"As President of the Student Council, it would be cruel to deny such assistance in helping one of our own. Especially one who would need help in getting used and acclimatized to Japan," Sona said, a demure smile on her face.

Her friend smiled, "Excellent. How about we head to the Cafeteria real quick to get a snack then?" she asked as the pair made their way towards the door.

"I do feel a bit peckish," the heiress of the Sitri Clan admitted as the two friends left the room, a destination set and the rest of the day to look forward.

She only hoped that tomorrow was a good day.

* * *

Sona Sitri was not having a good day. She had just about had it with the complaints regarding the infamous Perverted Trio of Kuoh Academy, the amount of sheer grief those three were causing was enough to make her consider going on a hunting spree.

It would save her a lot of time, patience, and sanity. Who would dare suspect the Class President of the Student Council if three idiots went missing never to be seen again? After all, it was well known that while she was strict, she truly cared for the school and its students.

In spite of the desire that tempted her sorely, that was not to be because of her friend and President of the Academy's Occult Research Club, Rias Gremory, had her eye on one Issei Hyoudou. As such, the option remained elusive in spite of the temptation that roiled within her.

However, that certainly didn't take the option away with the other two of the trio.

She shook her head and let out a soft sigh as her gaze wandered momentarily, the Sitri heiress sat by one of the benches just outside the main entrance to the Academy with two members of the Student Council.

Genshirou Saji and Tsubaki Shinra.

Saji was leaning against the tree behind the bench, while Tsubaki sat with her king and friend.

Why were the three outside rather than in? Well, it had something to do with their transfer student coming in today.

The Academy had been notified that he had arrived yesterday and would be able to attend the next. So here they were, waiting for their newest schoolmate to arrive and greet him, as was the duty of the Student Council.

"I still don't get why we have to show the new guy around," Sanji complained over the rustling of leaves as a gentle breeze rolled past. "I don't even know the guy," he continued as he ran a hand through his short and messy blonde locks of hair, letting out a sigh as he kept his gaze towards the road.

Tsubaki raised a hand to adjust her blue, semi-rimmed glasses with square lenses before heading upward to smooth the ebony tresses of hair, pointedly ignoring the rebellious strands of hair within her vision before she looked directly at her peer mate, giving him an icy stare. "Saji," she started as he turned to look at her, "It is the Council's responsibility to introduce him to the Academy. Complaining about it might send the wrong image for Kuoh."

Saji gulped when Tsubaki leveled her stare at him, tearing his gray eyes away from her and back towards the road. It was not as potent at Sona, but it was still potent enough to drive a point through.

"I-I know, but I still don't like the guy." He shrugged, "I just... don't get a good vibe from him? Don't really know how to explain it."

"Saji," Sona said in a warning tone that made the boy cower. Sona was normally a passive person, but everyone knew that she did not tolerate slacking or complaining with regard to duties.

While it was true that she didn't personally know much about really was, Sona couldn't help but remember what she had read in the file. She would be lying if she said she wasn't impressed to some extent. The new transfer had an interesting resume.

Born and raised in the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, now the Republic of Serbia, the transfer showed ambition in his education despite the known hardships she suspected of the numerous conflicts that had plagued the region throughout the years, showing aptitude in history and civil engineering. Reaching and maintaining the second spot for several years, managing to have had some manner of education from the University of Beograd before switching gears at the end of high school and applying to Kuoh with his own money and several scholarships that the Academy had in place.

The file hadn't mentioned much about his family, it only had information regarding his application and payment to the Academy, his educational history, a letter of recommendation, and finally a minor blurb on family and photos. His appearance was average from what she remembered when she had laid eyes on the several photos within the folder, with the exclusion of his height, something that in Japan would make him tower over most people.

The fact that the new student needed to use his own money to pay for the costs in spite of the economic hardship within the country he lived in had been in, showed to her that he would be one to keep an eye on if he was this ambitious.

He had piqued her and Rias' interest. No small feat for a mere human to interest the two heiresses.

Sona canted her head to the side as she heard something in the distance thanks to their enhanced senses. "What's that?" Tsubaki asked as the sound drew closer.

"I don't know…but it sounds like a bus," Saji replied, recognizing the sound as a bus if the roar of the engine was to go by.

"A bus? You think that's him?" Tsubaki asked.

"Probably," Saji huffed.

Sona sighed and turned to the boy, "Saji, you may be the secretary of the Student Council but this new transfer student has done nothing to gain your animosity, so keep it to yourself. I will not repeat myself."

Saji, for all his perverted thoughts, understood what Sona was saying despite the gut feeling he had.

"Hai, Kaichou."

Not long after, the roaring engine grew nearer before coming to a stop. To the normal human, it was just a small enough speck, but to the devils, they could see it clearly.

A regular public transportation bus, a local one, that was dropping someone near the Academy grounds.

The roar of the bus' engine faded completely from their hearing, leaving a pregnant silence in its wake. It wouldn't be until nearly fifteen minutes had passed in comfortable silence before the details of the person would be immediate in their enhanced eyesight.

Sona remained silent as she closed her eyes for a brief moment in time, gathering her thoughts as she adjusted her glasses. She idly wondered what expectations her new upperclassman had of the Academy, especially in regards to its facilities. She mentally shook her head, she wasn't one to assume things offhandedly, it wasn't in her nature to do so.

The silence continued without missing a beat as the figure continued towards the Academy before it died a veritable death as several students had finally noticed their presence. It was not every day that the Student Council waited patiently outside of the Academy's entrance, thus it was something to be seen and a crowd had started to gather even as the figure continued its trek forward.

Sona rose to her feet, soft whispers and mutters started to spread throughout the crowd as she all but glided towards the middle of the entrance, blocking the entrance as Saji and Tsubaki stood at her side. Her gaze was firmly locked onto their new schoolmate, the rays of the sun glinted ominously off her lenses for a moment before she adjusted her glasses once more.

He was tall, a sheer foot of difference between their heights if she remembered right. The proof of it was in front of her, that much she could see as his trek continued without a stop. One of his hands was slung over his shoulders, two digits extended that held the padded shoulder strap of a leather strap, more than likely of a messenger bag if she was correct.

"Belojevic-san," she called out, sussing the crowd into silence while the transfer student stopped several feet in front of her, everyone finally taking in his appearance. It was clear to all that he was a foreigner, given his distinctly European features. His face was interesting in a peculiar way, void of any emotion yet alert to his surroundings.

A stoic man if she ever saw one.

A gentle breeze rolled past the entrance once more as the leaves rustled, the unbuttoned dress shirt and blazer of his uniform swaying gently with the wind alongside the hemline of his green shirt. Gunmetal gray eyes didn't flinch as he stared down the trio that stood in front of the Academy's entrance.

"Zdravo. Moje ime je Souna Shitori, ja sam Predsednik studentskog veća. Dobrodošli na Kuoh Akademije," Sona greeted formally in Serbian before she bowed, the duo to her sides doing the same. She mentally grimaced, knowing that her Serbian more than likely was a butchering of the language. It was one thing to speak a foreign language fluently with someone, it was another altogether to do so without the other to do so in the first place to let her devil ability to kick in.

Still, she had taken her time to at least get a grasp of the language, despite how utterly basic it might have been. Sona had a feeling she would be needing it with their new upperclassman, especially if he was one to think or voice his thoughts in his native language by accident.

The transfer student raised an eyebrow, a beat of silence swiftly followed before it was broken. "Hello," he began in the native language of Japan, drawing out the word in a deep baritone voice, "I am Belojevic Dragojev, the transfer student. Please take care of me."

He bowed deeply in return, the ponytail of brown hair whip-lashed with the swift motion as he rose from the gesture of respect.

Her only response to the fact that his Japanese was perfect was a minute raise of her eyebrow, a soft smile gracing her features at the very unexpected but pleasant surprise. Sona had to admit that she was impressed, a foreigner being that fluent in Japanese was no easy task.

"It seems that you speak Japanese well."

Dragojev nodded slightly, "Thank you. It would not do for a non-native to not know or be intimate with the language of the land, no?" he asked, already knowing the answer to his rhetorical question.

She dipped her head in response and still answered the question, "Naturally, Belojevic-san."

The foreigner glanced at the duo at her sides, "Colleagues?"

The heiress nodded and gestured to Saji, "This is Genshirou Saji, the secretary of the Student Council," she introduced the blonde-haired boy.

Saji smiled despite his ill feeling and extended his hand out and towards to Dragojev, "Hi! Name's Saji. Hope we can be friends."

The transfer student extended his hand out without a missed beat, grabbing the offered hand and giving it a firm shake, "Pleasure to meet you, Genshirou-san."

The pawn of Sona twitched before he withdrew his hand from the handshake, satisfied with the answer but still, a bit put off in how formal the foreigner was speaking. Sona resisted the urge to let out a sigh, it seemed that she still had to deal with Saji later when they weren't giving their new upperclassman a tour. She had no idea why her pawn was put off by him, but it would be unbecoming of her as a King and the heir of Sitri if she couldn't resolve the issue.

Sona then motioned to the last of the duo, "And this is Shinra Tsubaki, the Vice President of the Student Council."

Tsubaki smiled politely and bowed, the split bangs of her hair hung in the air for a split second before she rose, a hand following to tuck in a strand behind her ear. Heterochromic violet and light brown gazed into the murky depths of gunmetal, "Hello, Belojevic-san. I sincerely hope that you have a pleasant experience in Kuoh Academy."

Dragojev nodded and bowed in return, "I thank you for your kind words, Shinra-san," he said as he rose to his full height.

"Common courtesy and pleasantries aside," Dragojev began as his gaze landed on Sona, "What is the next step, Shitori-Kaichou?"

She raised an eyebrow at the honorific. Well, he certainly didn't beat around the bush. That was good, it spoke of his attitude well as she nodded, more to herself than anything, "We're supposed to give you a tour of the school and answer all of your questions if you have them," Sona answered. "Then we'll go to the Head's office and get you your schedule."

"Do I have classes today?"

"No."

The Serb only stared at Sona before he shook his head, muttering low under his breath that only she and her two members of her peerage were able to catch thanks to their enhanced senses, "Dobra žalost."

Good Grief if her ability was correct. The slight inconsistency with it is that it did not work with slang or anything that needed prior context to properly understand. In short, it was a literal translation where proper meaning and context could be lost and quite easily at that.

He let out a sigh and nodded, "Lead the way then, Shitori-Kaichou."

The Sitri heir nodded and turned on her heel towards the school with Tsubaki and Saji by her sides with Dragojev trailing not far behind, leaving the crowd to their whispered rumors of the exotic foreigner.

As they walked towards the main building Dragojev turned his head there and that, thoroughly observing his surroundings and the grounds as best as he could. She noticed his slightly lingering gaze on the uniforms.

The uniforms of the Academy tended to be an eye catcher, that much she knew. The male uniform for all intents and purposes was fine and finely designed, the female one, however. She knew that the skirt of the female uniform didn't leave much to the imagination, much to her chagrin but alas, it was something that she and every other girl had to endure now that Kuoh was a co-ed academy.

His gaze, however, changed directions, resting upon the building of the Kendo Club as he canted his head to the side as if confused. "Shitori-Kaichou, what building is that used for?" he asked her.

She came to a stop and turned her gaze fully on the Serb, "The Kendo Club uses it for their Club, Belojevic-san. Why do you ask?"

"It appears I have a…" he trailed off for a second before he continued, "matter to attend to, Shitori-Kaichou. If you'll excuse the delay, this shall be quick."

Sona had a feeling she knew what it'd be, but honestly, seeing it happen with her very eyes would be a good way to make her day improve sharply. She dipped her head, "Very well, Belojevic-san, lead the way."

The foreigner nodded in return, silent as he made his way towards the Kendo Club building, the trio following after him.

"Is it what I think it is, Kaichou?" whispered Tsubaki to her.

The Sitri heiress turned her gaze towards her Queen, noting the barely hidden look of righteous female indignation from the usually serious woman. Sona's eyes glinted with amusement of what was about to come.

Tsubaki giggled and did her best to hide it as the group came to a stop in front of the Kendo Club.

Dragojev rapped his knuckles on the door, patiently waiting for someone to answer.

"Just a second!" came the call from within, the Serb crossing his arms as the sound of rustling and feet moving could be heard from behind the door.

After a few moments, the door opened and revealed two women in their Kendo gear. Their eyes widened slightly at the sight of the tall man in front of them. "Y-Yes?" asked one of them, her pink eyes dubious as to what the apparent attending foreigner wanted.

He uncrossed his arms and thumbed towards the back of the building, "You have a problem in the back, three pests one might say," he answered vaguely.

The two women blinked owlishly at him before their eyes narrowed in outrage at what he meant, "Girls!" the taller of the two yelled in anger, amber eyes burned with righteous anger, turning towards the inside of the building as her brown locks of hair and ponytail whip-lashed with the rapid movement. "We have three pests to deliver righteous female retaliation!" she yelled as a crescendo of a roar sounded off inside.

Dragojev wisely stepped to the side of the door.

What followed was quite the spectacle as the girls of the Kendo Club rushed out with shinai in hand, lead by the two women as they ran towards the back of their building. All was silent for a moment before the cries of the academy's infamous trio carried off into the air.

Sona did truly try to hide the smug smirk on her face, but alas trying to hide the look of a cat who had caught the juicy canary was a futile effort. Didn't mean she'd stop trying but damn it, those cries were akin to a balm that raised her spirits.

The transfer student turned to Sona before he dipped his head towards her, "My business is concluded, Shitori-Kaichou."

"If I may ask, what prompted this action?" she asked.

"Gvožđe se kuje dok je vruće," he responded in Serbian, his gaze on the trio.

Iron is worked when it's still hot. The three of them blinked in confusion at his words.

"Strike while the Iron is hot, would be the translation," he continued before he gestured to Sona, "We can continue with the task at hand."

"Follow me," Sona nodded, turning and began to walk towards main building of the school. Saji and Tsubaki at her side with Dragojev once more trailing behind them. This time, he was closer to the trio.

The group crossed the threshold of the front doors, entering the main foyer as Sona stopped for a moment, turning her gaze to the Serb. "We shall begin the tour here, Belojevic-san, this is the foyer of the main building," she explained.

Dragojev let his gaze roam as the foursome continued onward towards one of the main stairwells. Sona had a feeling that Rias would be preening in pride if she noticed how intently their new classmate was in observing the Academy. She couldn't blame either, really. Kuoh was just as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside, being aesthetically pleasing while at the same time boasting the functionality which all Japanese schools wished they had to ensure all of their staff and students could get the best results of their efforts.

As they continued their tour, Sona began to notice that Dragojev seemed tense if his stance was any indication, almost as if he was expecting something or other to attack him. She filed it away for later, it was either nervousness at the first day or something else. She doubted it was something related to the supernatural, he was a human through and true without any hint of holiness or magic upon him. That immediately shot down any possibility of him being a spy from the other two factions.

"I understand that you are here on several scholarships and your own funds, managing to test in with high scores," Sona commented as they walked.

Saji and Tsubaki wisely kept quiet, letting their King take the reins.

"Yes," Dragojev confirmed.

"Japan has always held an appeal to me and when the chance arrived of gaining a scholarship, I was not going to let it slide from my grasp," he began to explain his reasoning. "As to why Kuoh, the Academy was and still is close to the top of Japan's schools and its experience with foreign students assisted in cementing that choice."

"I see. I must say you chose wisely and Kuoh is indeed lucky to have you within its halls," Sona agreed. "Your test scores were among the top percentile, if I recall correctly, of all of the applicants for that scholarship. Many of the faculty were quite eager to send your acceptance."

"Nothing worth having in life comes easy," the foreigner said, "Despite the effort, I am content that it managed to net me the chance to be here and continue in my path."

"Would it be possible to know what path you intend to walk upon, Belojevic-san?"

The Serb did not immediately answer as they continued the tour, "A path laden with promises I made to myself, many of them highly personal but one that is simple enough to talk about," he finally answered. Barely hidden passion and fervor threatened to break through the veiled depths of gunmetal, "To assist my motherland when the time comes for me to put forth my efforts into."

Sona knew well enough what he meant as she nodded, "Quite the admirable goal, Belojevic-san, the people of Serbia would be proud to be able to count on your efforts to assist your country."

He dipped his head in response while he clenched a fist for a brief moment, his gaze landing on a ring on his right hand, "Thank you, Shitori-Kaichou."

With that, he fell silent as the tour continued.

* * *

Several hours later, the group stopped in front of the College Head's Office. The heiress turned to her two underlings, "Saji, Tsubaki, you are dismissed and are to return to your normal duties. Understood?"

They answered in chorus, "Hai, Kaichou," before they bowed to Dragojev once more and left.

That done, Sona turned and knocked on the door.

"You may enter."

Permission granted, the duo entered the office with the Serb closing the door behind him.

"Ah, Belojevic-san," came a lilting voice from the woman who sat behind her desk, holding a folder within her hands, "It is good to see you have arrived at our prestigious academy," she continued as she laid down the folder on the surface of the desk. She steepled her fingers as she smiled politely at the foreigner, "I do hope you have found the tour and all the answers to your questions enlightening."

"Ah, but I digress. I am Daimon Misuzu, the Head of the College Department of Kuoh Academy," she introduced herself as she finally stood from her chair and held out her hand, "It is an absolute pleasure to have you at our academy."

Dragojev shook her hand and for the first time since he had arrived, the corners of his lips quirked up into a very small yet polite smile. "Thank you for the opportunity, Daimon-sama, you and everyone else who chose me will not be disappointed in me," he assured the College Head as he bowed deeply towards her.

She resisted the temptation to raise an eyebrow, the heiress kept her face passive. It was slightly strange to see someone use that particular honorific for her position, along with seeing a normal human be so formal in their speaking. If it weren't for the fact that she had checked him already, she would have pegged him as a noble devil of some manner with an agenda. Nonetheless, it was yet another matter to deal with later as she filed it away and turned her focus back to the College Head.

Sona thought there would never be a day where she'd see the woman smile naturally instead of politely, yet here she was seeing it.

Misuzu's smile widened and dare she say it, possessed a certain warmth to it.

"I had the feeling that was the case and I am heartened to see such commitment to your studies, Belojevic-san," she said as she motioned for the two to sit on the two chairs in front of her desk, "Now then, I do hope that everything is to your liking here."

The heiress and Serb sat down on the chairs, both having wisely heeded Misuzu's order.

Gunmetal Grey gazed into Black before Dragojev nodded, focused intently on the woman.

Sona now noticed that he had never gazed down below Daimon-sama's neckline once. She could understand now as to why the College Head was preening, an ambitious foreigner who had the determination to back his words in not failing her and was not perverted in any shape. Taking into consideration the infamous trio of the Academy and the stereotype of young hot-blooded men, It was no wonder. Kuoh Academy seemed to have gained a massive boon in her new upperclassman if he still kept true to what she had seen today.

"It may take some time but I am certain that in good time I shall be fully immersed into Kuoh, Daimon-sama," Dragojev replied to the woman.

Misuzu dipped her head, "Excellent to hear, Belojevic-san," she said as her gaze landed on the Sitri heiress, "I suppose that Belojevic-san has been a good member of our student body so far, has he Shitori-san?"

She nodded, "Yes, there has been no problems concerning Belojevic-san. At best, I will say that he has the potential in becoming a shining example of a male student at Kuoh academy," Sona judged as she adjusted her glasses. It was more or less fact at this point, the exotic man sitting a few feet away from her had academic role model written all over him. She would have to give herself time to judge if he possessed any sort of combat ability or skill and if he did she wouldn't hesitate in approaching him to have her new upperclassman join her Peerage.

The heiress of the Sitri knew that Rias wouldn't hesitate either, so she would have to strike first before her friend.

"Wonderful. Now, I must admit, Belojevic-san," began Misuzu as she laid her hands on top of each other on her desk, "I am a bit curious as to why you decided to move to Japan and chose Kuoh Academy to attend college, you did after all have some manner of education from the University of Belgrade before finishing high school. In short, Belojevic-san, what compelled you to your decision?"

Dragojev did not answer immediately, having elected to remain silent as its cloak descended upon the room. "I cannot voice much of it because it is personal," he began as he lowered his gaze to his hand, eyeing the silver ring as if reminiscing the past, "but I will say this, it was a promise made to my sister being one of the main reasons why I am here."

Sona noted the way he spoke, all in past tense. There was something regarding his family that had not been included in his dossier and it clearly affected her fellow student and Senpai, she only hoped it wasn't what she guessed it could be.

Misuzu nodded gently after a moment, her long locks of brown hair swaying gently with her nod, "We are most fortunate for that promise then, Belojevic-san, may you accomplish it whole with our assistance," she said, moving the topic to a less sensitive one in a sentence.

He raised his gaze as it landed once more on the College Head and nodded, "Yes, I have no doubt of that. Thank you, Daimon-sama."

Misuzu nodded as she reached out to grab a document and extended it towards Dragojev, "In any case, here is your schedule for this school year, Belojevic-san."

He silently grabbed his schedule, his eyes roaming it quickly before he nodded, "Thank you once more, Daimon-sama," he said as he placed it within his messenger bag. "Are there any textbooks or any other requirements that I may need to procure for my subjects?" he asked as he closed his bag, turning his gaze fully once more towards Misuzu.

"Textbooks have not been a requirement since most of the material and its textbooks can be downloaded from the internet, Belojevic-san. We at Kuoh Academy have the utmost desire to make the best of our resources, considering the costs, it was decided unanimously to have all the textbooks for current and future editions of all classes to be made available online," answered Misuzu, explaining the circumstances, "Naturally, however, we do have a library fully stocked if you wish to have a physical copy in your hands. One can either buy it or borrow it."

Dragojev nodded, "Is there anything else you wish to discuss, Daimon-sama?"

The woman in question shook her head and rose to her full height, "Again, it's been a pleasure to meet and have you here at our Academy, Belojevic-san."

He nodded as he and Sona stood, "The pleasure is mine," he replied in turn.

Misuzu smiled once more, "I hope your first day tomorrow shall be a good one, Belojevic-san."

Dragojev nodded and as one, the pair left her office with the College Head's gaze lingering on the foreigner.

Once the doors closed, Dragojev took a deep breath and exhaled softly. "Još jednom u boj," she heard him mutter under his breath. She blinked at that, 'Once again into the fight'? That didn't really make any sense, mentally shaking her head at the probable lack of context.

He turned towards her, "Thank you for the tour and for your time, Shitori-Kaichou. I sincerely appreciate it and please extend my thanks to Shinra-san and Genshirou-san for their assistance," he said as he looked down at her, her violet meeting his gunmetal gray eyes.

He broke their gaze as he bowed deeply, it was still peculiar to see a foreigner be so utterly formal. Idly, she wondered the reason why he spoke and behaved so distant and formal. Most foreigners she'd met in the Academy were lively and friendly, having a tendency in ignoring honorifics and being more...touchy-feely as one boy had put it.

"I imagine that you have your own matters to attend to, and so I shall continue exploring the Academy grounds. By your leave, Shitori-Kaichou," he said, jarring her from her thoughts as he rose to his full height, turning as he made to walk away from her.

"Aren't you going to get lost, Belojevic-san? After all, You have just seen the grounds only one time," Sona asked, more out of duty than actual concern.

Dragojev stopped and turned to face her as he took a phone out of his pocket, "No," he began to answer her question, "I have the school's map and layout on my phone. While the tour in a way was...inefficient," he hedged before he continued, "I do appreciate the thought and effort put forth into it."

Sona stood there stunned as she heard his words, trying to comprehend it in her current state of mind. This...this whole day she spent giving him a tour was for nothing? That stoic asshole just wasted her day for his own amusement?!

"Not to say that the tour was useless, Shitori-Kaichou," he smoothly interjected anything she might have said as she paused, a verbal lashing on her lips primed and ready. "It may be one thing to become familiar with the grounds via a map but one does not become familiar with the way of the land, its people and culture with a map of all things," he explained as he arched an eyebrow, "Wouldn't you agree?"

Sona blinked at his explanation, seeing the utterly flawless logic of it as it made complete sense. The tour may have been useless in terms of where things were but it showed him everything else. The social hierarchy of the Academy within the student body, what was considered proper and not, how students interacted. Everything that one could observe from their surroundings, the Serb in front of her had seen with a keen and very attentive eye.

Oh yes, Dragojev Belojevic was certainly someone to keep a close eye on. She could only imagine how Rias would react in learning the very thing she had been floored with just now. She resisted the temptation to smirk at the look that would be on her face.

She'd pay money to be there and watch the beauty of that unfold before her very eyes. She'd make sure to be there.

"Yes, that would be correct, Belojevic-san. I have to say, I am impressed," she answered, complimenting him at the same time, "Not many are that observant."

"Thank you, Shitori-Kaichou. Before I go exploring, would you know what building the…" he trailed off as he tried to remember something, clicking his tongue. "The Occult Research Club?" he hedged before nodding to himself, "Yes, would you know what building the Occult Research Club uses?"

"I do, I can lead you towards it but may I inquire as to why you are asking?" she asked, curious as to why he would pick Rias' Club of the numerous ones the Academy had. She turned and headed towards the stairwell, their new destination in mind as her fellow student walked alongside her.

Paranoia would have said that he was a hidden devil but reason punted it to the side, even the Sitri heiress knew that a devil could not truly hide their energy to appear as a normal human without magical aid, something that he clearly lacked. It was why despite the ceasefire between the three factions, individual fights still occurred all over the world.

Sad as it was, that was the reality of the moonlit world they all lived in.

"The supernatural and mythology is something I have always had an interest in since I was a child," he answered, "One could say that I have a deep-seated interest in continuing that during my stay here, as well as expanding my knowledge with the mythology and supernatural beings of Japan."

She nodded, easily seeing his reason and internally gleeful at what she hoped to see when Rias would realize how peculiar and interesting he truly was. She knew for a fact that she and her entire peerage would be in their clubroom right now.

"Additionally, are there any groups or clubs dedicated to Chess or board games along that line?" he inquired as the pair continued, crossing the threshold of the main building's doors.

"While the Academy does not have an official club dedicated to that sport, there are a few dedicated aficionados who do enjoy the challenge of it," she smoothly replied as her eyes landed on the old school building, the corners of her lips quirking up for a brief moment as she spotted Rias looking through the window.

She blinked and canted her head to the side, silently asking her who was she escorting.

Sona shook her head in answer, the desire to not spoil the surprise ultimately won out.

"Ah, I see. Would it be possible for you to introduce me, or at least point me in their direction? I may not play it much but it is one of the few ways I relax with a good match," he replied.

She turned her gaze on the foreigner, arching an eyebrow before she smiled softly at him, "I am one of them and Rias Gremory is another one," she revealed as she gestured towards the still present red-head looking down the second-floor window.

"Gremory?" he asked with an arched eyebrow, almost as if he was surprised at a familiar name before he turned his eyes towards the window, gunmetal gray finally meeting cerulean ones. Anything he might have asked in addition died upon his lips as he stared blatantly at the Crimson-haired Ruin Princess.

Sona arched an eyebrow, hiding a smirk with the knowledge that even the stoic foreigner had been moved by Rias' beauty. She was comfortable and secure with her looks and knew that her friend had won the challenge of physical beauty hands down, so it wasn't something she had to be insecure about.

The moment passed as the woman broke eye contact and moved away from the window.

Dragojev shook his head slightly, "Sorry, Shitori-Kaichou," he began, "She-"

"Belojevic-san, there's no need to apologize, I know well enough about the beauty of Rias. Especially with how someone who's never seen her before might be in awe of it," she dismissed his words with a wave of her hand.

He shook his head, "It's not that, my mother country has no lack of beautiful women. It's something else entirely, I…" he trailed off as his brows furrowed before he sighed, "I can't put it to words. My apologies, Shitori-Kaichou, I shall apologize to Gremory-san when we meet."

Her hidden smirk disappeared from her features, her mind running through several possibilities. Was he capable of sensing the supernatural? If that was the case, why had he not reacted to the three as he just did earlier? Was it relating to Rias' Power of Destruction? There were too many questions that surrounded Kuoh Academy's newest student, and not a lot of answers that were forthcoming from the stoic man.

She mentally shook her head, deciding to file it away in the increasing size of the numerous mysteries there were about the man at her side. "Think nothing of it, Belojevic-san, now lets head inside," she waved off his apology as she opened the door to the building, crossing the threshold with Dragojev still at her side.

"Is this building used for anything else?" he asked as he glanced at their surroundings.

Sona shook her head, "No, this was the old school building before the Academy revamped itself fully into what it is now. It's mainly used by the Occult Research Club," she answered as they ascended to the second floor, their steps echoed through the near silent building.

"I am surprised that no other club has decided to use the school building," Dragojev replied as he glanced at the numerous empty rooms.

"Most students think that since the schoolhouse is old, it's haunted," she said before she scoffed, "Naturally, that is not the case and so the Occult Research Club enjoy the benefits of having a building all to themselves," Sona revealed as she stopped in front of the door, turning her gaze towards the taller of the two. "This is the room where the Occult Research Club meets and if I'm correct, they should all be here now," she explained before she knocked on the door.

"Coming!" came a gentle voice before the door was opened, revealing a woman with a soft look upon her face. "Ah, it's Sona-san and…" she trailed as violet eyes landed on the tall man at Sona's side, her gentle features shifting into one of innocent surprise. "Ara ara, quite the tall one isn't he?" she asked the heiress.

"Belojevic-san, this is Himejima Akeno," Sona took advantage to introduce Rias' Queen to the foreigner, "Akeno-san, this is Belojevic Dragojev, a last minute transfer student," she continued as she introduced Akeno to their new fellow student. "Before further introduction are done, is Rias and the rest of the Club in?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, please do come in," the gentle looking woman said as she stepped aside to let the duo enter the room. Sona closed the door behind her as she let her gaze land on Dragojev.

The features of the room were certainly eye-catching for a new person, especially so for the tall European at her side as his gaze roamed past the other occupants of the room.

Even Rias had noticed how he scanned the room as she arched an eyebrow.

Interesting, she mused to herself. More than likely he had surmised possible escape routes and had taken stock of the room itself. Candles provided dim lighting, casting shadows even with the numerous furnishings, all in all, it had the feel and look of a victorian mansion as if it was ripped straight from the past. Naturally, that excluded the shower built into the back of the room.

His gaze had stopped on that one, arching an eyebrow as if confused and she swore he nearly canted his head to the side to decipher the purpose of it inside the room.

Sona cleared her throat, jarring the man from his now outright and perplexed stare of the shower.

She saw Rias' peerage remain in their seats, while Rias herself sat comfortably in the center of the couch across the same piece of furniture whose back was facing her.

"Belojevic-san, this is the Occult Research Club," she gestured as Akeno moved towards her King, apparently having elected to remain standing.

"Everyone, this is Belojevic Dragojev, the last-minute transfer student to Kuoh," she introduced the Serb.

"Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, please take care of me," the stoic man said before he bowed deeply towards the group.

Two sets of eyes gleamed.

One was full of curiosity at the one who had immediately scanned the room's in and outs, and more than likely ways to defend himself should it be required. She knew that not many humans were that cautious and Dragojev was one of them, the way he carried himself intrigued her. She did enjoy unraveling mysteries after all.

The other was a mixture of curiosity and mischief despite how her gentle appearance portrayed her to the world, she knew well enough that most of the student body believed her to be the pinnacle of what a Japanese woman was about. A shining example of a Yamato Nadeshiko, the epitome of the idealized Japanese woman. She, however, did enjoy teasing others, and this man who carried himself with the air of stoicism and near-permanent cautiousness, well, that would make it far more enjoyable to her in peeling the layers around such a person.

As such, the heiress of the Sitri Clan knew instinctively that the two Great Onee-Samas of Kuoh Academy certainly had their curiosity peaked in the man before them.

* * *

A/N:

What Sona said was purposefully made with google translate to show that her Serbian was rough because of how short the time she had gotten to learn it (Less than a day), which speaks wonders to her intellect in grasping a language by herself, in spite of how broken/rough her speaking it may have been.

"Zdravo. Moje ime je Souna Shitori, ja sam Predsednik studentskog veća. Dobrodošli na Kuoh Akademije." translates to: "Hello. I am Souna Shitori, the President of the Student Council. Welcome to Kuoh Academy."

"Još jednom u boj." translates to: "Once more unto the breach."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Do apologize if any updates to the chapter sends alerts out, merely updating and fixing things that I've noticed since I don't have a Beta to consult these things with. Also, do note that I am still trying to get a consistent update schedule to this, so future apologies on any delay if RL rears its ugly head to delay things.

Now, on with the show.

* * *

Rias Gremory had been having a rather great day, all things considered, and now she was going to discover more of their new stoic classmate. An additional win for her.

"I am Gremory Rias and I assure you, Belojevic-senpai, the pleasure is all mine." She swept a hand towards her peerage, presenting them to their new upperclassman, "I welcome you to the Occult Research Club's clubroom."

Her Knight and Rook understood her unvoiced request, and as one the pair rose from their seats.

Kiba turned to Dragojev and smiled genially at his fellow classmate, "Greetings, Belojevic-senpai, I am Yuuto Kiba. It's a pleasure to meet a fellow student," he introduced himself with a polite bow. Short blond strands swayed to and fro before they settled as Kiba rose from his gesture.

Two different shades of gray met each other, something akin to a distorted mirror, before Dragojev gave her Knight a barely perceivable nod in return. He'd already paid his due of politeness earlier as he turned to her Rook.

Their gaze locked with each other in silence as it descended upon the room.

The sheer size difference between the two looked extremely comical, the taller of the two being nearly two heads higher than her adorable Rook. Rias mentally made plans to have the famed and loved Mascot of Kuoh Academy keep an eye on their new classmate when she could. What she was seeing right now was too comical to miss. She did her best to resist the hellish temptation to snicker or giggle at the sight, in spite of how funny it was.

Akeno, however, had not, if the raised hand to her lips to hide her silent tittering was any indication.

Truthfully, she could not blame her. They were devils after all— desires and temptations were the norms for them.

"Strong."

With that word, Koneko had broken the grasp the specter of silence had seized, her features void of emotion similar to the very man her gaze was locked on.

Were she anyone else, she might have missed the slight twitch at the word that her upperclassman did. As it was, she did not miss such a reaction and now had a question without an answer. She was certain that Sona and Akeno had noticed it as well. Now it would be a matter of time who would discover the answer to that particular question.

Why had he twitched at the mention of being Strong?

"Welcome," the Mascot of Kuoh said as she bent at her waist in an angle. White locks of hair hung in the air before she rose from her bow, the tips of her hair brushing against her shoulders with several resting just shy of her chest. "Toujo Koneko, Belojevic-senpai.".

She definitely had to admit, their Senpai appeared to be a most interesting individual as his eyes swiveled before his sight landed on her Queen.

The Priestess of Thunder lowered her hand, both clasped together daintily.

Akeno gave him a polite bow. The long ponytail of hers swayed with the motion as she rose, a soft look once more on her face. "Himejima Akeno, Belojevic-senpai, I do hope your stay at Kuoh is an enjoyable one."

The Serb dipped his head towards her, "I intend on doing so, Himejima-san."

"Please, have a seat you two," Rias offered the pair of Sona and Dragojev.

Sona raised a hand, "I apologize, but I had only come to drop Belojevic-san before attending my own duties for the day, Rias. Maybe another time," the heiress of the Sitri interjected before she turned to Dragojev. "Have a good day, Belojevic-san. Let me know if you require anything and I shall do my best to help you."

"Consider the offer accepted and offered in turn, Shitori-Kaichou," he replied smoothly and gave her a nod of farewell.

Rias arched an eyebrow at the honorific and gave her friend a dirty look.

Her response was a hidden, smug smirk as she adjusted her glasses.

With that, her friend bowed and left the clubroom as Dragojev took a seat at one of the empty couches near the coffee table. The rest of her peerage followed suit, with the exception of Akeno, who went about retrieving tea for all to drink.

"May I ask what prompted you to seek us out, Belojevic-san?" Rias decided to ask, striking the iron while it was hot, as it were. The option to deviate to more mundane topics was always available to the heiress.

"You may, Gremory-san," he replied as he sat rigid like an unbending oak tree. His head turned towards her as his eyes fell upon her form, his entire focus on her.

Rias was intrigued. It wasn't an everyday occurrence to receive someone's completely undivided attention, outside of the usual suspect of perversion. No, this was far away from that, almost as if nothing else in the world mattered, only she existed in his eyes. She resisted the smug smirk at knowing she had beat Sona at this one, smiling softly instead at him as she listened intently to him.

"As to the reason why, you can say that I am an aficionado of the supernatural and creatures that go 'bump' in the night, alongside mythology wherever it may be from," he continued. "That is why I thought it prudent to 'seek' the Club out, to remain abreast of all manner of the Occult and continue expanding my knowledge of it. I have a deep-seated interest in doing so."

The Crimson-haired Ruin Princess slowly blinked at the rather forthcoming answer to her question, noting that it still had an air of mysticism. Especially the last part. After all, why would a normal human be rather keen on knowing the supernatural? There was nothing in what she read yesterday to indicate that it was an interest or hobby of his. This, however, did not appear to be the case.

Even when Dragojev had entered with Sona earlier, the muscles she had glimpsed were coiled like a spring, ready to unleash its energy at a moment's notice. Their new upperclassman had swiftly scouted the entirety of the room, likely noting all the exits and possible methods of escape.

"I see," she said slowly as she sought another question to delay and give herself more time to think, "Were there any other reasons in doing so?"

The tall man nodded slightly, "Yes. Mythology, legends and the supernatural have been topics for me ever since I was a child. Seems ideal to continue such research, no?"

Given his answer, the likelihood was high that he was one of the unfortunate humans that somehow survived an encounter with the moonlit world. Even more so given what she had seen so far. She highly doubted he had done so unscathed. Fantastic, now she had to deal with the fallout of that unfortunate encounter.

She mentally swore at whatever had crossed her upperclassman's path.

She couldn't even just up and alter his memories since she had no idea of where to even begin. She'd be messing with possibly years of memories at this point, something only a highly experienced devil could do with a lot of time and a willing patient.

Rias had the time but she would not have a willing patient, and she was fairly sure she was not experienced enough with that particular magic to do that. Sure, she could alter recent memories of humans who met her and her peerage in some absurd fashion, but that was fairly easy to do when it was recent.

For a matter that possibly extended back years? No, there would not be anyone who would be willing.

The reality was that no one in their right mind would willingly put themselves to have their memories tinkered with, the very thing that made them by the experiences that shaped them.

She could either play along at being human, slowly reveal their nature to their upperclassman throughout the week or do it now in one fell swoop like ripping a bandaid off. All three decisions had their benefits and disadvantages, yet all three only made her hesitate.

She wasn't sure if Koneko or Kiba had reached the same conclusion, but she was fairly sure that her Queen had given that she chose that moment to present tea to everyone present.

"Indeed, would be a crime to not continue such a diligent labour, Belojevic-senpai," She smiled softly as she raised her cup of tea, taking a brief moment to inhale its sweet aroma before she took a sip of the nectar. She allowed herself to indulge, the tea working wonders to her as she relaxed. Her eyes briefly glanced at the unyielding upperclassman.

His eyes were closed as his features slackened, his stance relaxed for a brief moment before it returned after he swallowed the sip of tea. His face was neutral, void of emotion like her Rook, the ideal Stoic as defined by Zeno.

She could work with that.

"Gremory-san, if I may be bold in asking this but…" He trailed off as he held his cup of tea in hand with his brow furrowed, "Why exactly is it that your family name is after one of the seventy-two demons of the Ars Goetia from the Clavicula Salomonis Regis?"

She blinked at the question, making sure her lips were closed as she had almost sworn out loud in front of her peerage and her upperclassman. Wouldn't exactly appear well at all if she had just blurted out 'Fuck' and probably drive the question firmly into the supernatural with all the subtlety of the infamous trio of Kuoh.

It wasn't like she could just be upfront and say, 'Oh yes, she was my ancestor. Now, would you like one or two sugar for your tea?'

She mentally rolled her eyes, that would probably go down in history as one of the more blunt introductions she'd ever done. Hell, even her brother would be in sheer awe at the clusterfuck that would surely turn out to be.

She couldn't really remember if she had ever gotten such a question before, now that she really thought about it. In a way, it did make sense, since she did stay far away from humans who knew of the supernatural, and most Japanese people weren't knowledgeable with Christianity nor of its demons. Those who were tended to be the death-to-all-devils type, or because they tended to be exorcists from either the Vatican, the Protestant or the Eastern Orthodox Church.

She would never admit it openly, but she did like the fact that the Patriarchs of the Eastern Orthodox were all equal amongst each other. It reminded her of how equal the four Maous were in Devil society.

Still, she resisted the urge to shudder. Stabby exorcists, not even once.

That still left her without a good answer to his question. Most Japanese people banked that it was a European noble family name when it couldn't have been further from the truth. It sure would have been swell for a human family to be named after a demon from the Ars Goetia in the medieval ages of Europe. That was the equivalent of outright murdering subtlety and then asking if they needed a more in-their-face name to be a devil.

More like a fiery death by a bonfire, possibly followed by celebrations and a feast on the success of it by their former neighbors.

Right, her thoughts were going all over the place from internally panicking, she realized as she kept her body relaxed and her demure smile still in place. No reason to make him suspect anything, despite the obvious now that she could see it. Damn it, she should have gone with a fucking alias like Sona did, but no, had to be full of pride in being a Gremory.

She mentally swore at the internet for letting the relic of that damned Grimoire be spread all over the world, she didn't need such hardships on her admittedly young life. Then again, could she really blame it on the internet? It was her pride after all that she had gone without an alias, trying to hide in the obvious to people who barely gave a toss about Christianity, but faced with someone who was intimate with the supernatural and more than likely merely wanted to defend himself?

Could she try and hide it with half-truths? Have it appear to be a highly personal and familial matter? It would certainly put the onus on him, but it would still not explain why her family name was in that damned Grimoire. She'd knew that he would catch onto that given how aware he was of his surroundings.

Rias mentally groaned. Damn it, why couldn't he have been ignorant to the supernatural?

If this had been any other human who was less aware of their surroundings and carried himself differently, she would have simply altered their memories of the encounter. But no, Sona just simply had to personally deliver to her someone who was alert, body rigid and tense and was intimate with the supernatural like the Kendo Club were with the Pervert Trio of Kuoh.

At times, she swore that her friend and rival heiress wanted to drive her up a wall. Now she had to deal with the gift-wrapped Sitri present that Sona had given to her in the form of a tall Serb named Dragojev Belojevic.

The fucking bitch.

No, this wasn't what she thought nor believed of one of her beloved friends since childhood. This was her train of thought having been utterly derailed by one simple question, innocently asked by her new upperclassman who was clearly curious about her family name. She idly wondered if this was her state of panicking, because if so she really needed a better grip on herself if this was the reaction to her not-so-simple fellow student who knew of the supernatural and had asked about her last name.

There was a beautiful word that utterly showcased the situation, a four-letter word that explained seemingly everything in a neat little package. Could be used to describe an intimate encounter, making it raunchier and dirtier. Could be used to insult and demean others, and right now, could be used to describe what she thought of the situation.

' _Fuck,'_ she thought to herself.

Delay was the word below that one. Delay, Delay, Delay. She needed more time to gather her thoughts and decide on a course of action, one that she would drive the point down into the very earth till she struck the metaphorical oil.

A few seconds had passed in her panicked state as she adopted a look of pleasant surprise, "Oh? That is quite the question, Belojevic-senpai, there are not a lot of people knowledgeable or even know of the existence of the Ars Goetia. Might I ask where you learned about it?" she deflected, knowing well enough that it would only raise his suspicions if he had any. Necessity demanded it, however, as she needed to do it to give herself more time to properly think.

"I learned and read it when I was a teenager. It's only been in the recent months that I have been…" He trailed off for a moment before he clicked his tongue, "Reacquainting myself with the Ars Goetia. To refresh my memory."

Refresh his memory, sure, and her brother wasn't a complete siscon who constantly doted on her. By the four Maous, if that wasn't the most blatant hint of him knowing about the supernatural, she'd eat a hat.

"You can see why I am curious as to why your family name is such," he continued innocently.

She wasn't one to gamble on sucker bets, and betting on him being ignorant had "sucker" written in big, bold red letters all over it. He had to be aware of what he was asking. He had to at this point. There wasn't any other option but to rip the metaphorical bandage and reveal herself and her peerage to him.

There were numerous outcomes that would come from such.

One, he would instantly be on the offensive with no regard for himself or the odds in facing four devils. Something she would admit was brave in spite of how stupid and suicidal it was.

Two, he would be defensive, escape to gather his thoughts and face them later at an advantage. She doubted he was going to find a Christian church and possibly gain items imbued with holy magic like holy water, the one that had been in the city had been abandoned for years at this point.

Three, he would be defensive yet stay to listen to them. That particular outcome was the one she wanted more and if she played her cards right, she would possibly gain another member to her peerage.

Rias took a moment to glance at every member of her peerage, her gaze landing on Akeno as she gave her a nod. Her Queen gave a barely perceptible nod in return, standing demurely at her side. She turned to look at their upperclassman, placing her cup of tea on the coffee table as she crossed her legs.

"I see. Well, Belojevic-senpai, the answer to your question is a bit…" She trailed off before she shook her head. "No, it is highly personal. Saying that it would be minor would be a rather massive understatement, taking weight and importance away from the answer you seek," she began. "I am willing to put a great deal of trust in you and give you your answer, Belojevic-senpai, but I only ask that you do so in turn. Would that be acceptable?" she asked and saw how his ironclad body had tensed up even further. His eyes had widened a fraction from her words.

Had she said something wrong? Had the possibility of actually getting a straightforward answer not been imagined by him? Or was it something else relating to devils? Many questions that she had no real answer from, and she wasn't sure what she and her peerage would be getting from the mystery man himself.

She kept eye contact and finally she saw his body wind down, the coiled spring that he had been faded as he slouched slightly, almost like a burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

"I will be honest with you, Gremory-san," he began as he avoided her eyes, his gaze lowered. "I am not one who trusts easily and yet…" He trailed off as his eyes landed on the ring on his index finger. His eyelids had fallen midway in thought. A moment passed and he scoffed. "I would be a rather poor example of a man if I wasn't able to trust those below me, now wouldn't I?" he asked wryly before he let out a sigh.

His chest rose with a deep intake of air. He held it for several seconds, exhaling softly as he raised his eyes towards her, "I have no need to fear the shadows nor the unknown that hides within, Gremory-san, consider your offer accepted and I will uphold my end."

That was one hurdle left now, how he would react in the end.

"It is simple, I and the rest of the Occult Research Club are devils," she revealed to him. Her voice was sharp.

Dragojev blinked in confusion. He canted his head to the side before he glanced around the room in slight bewilderment, "Gremory-san, is this some form of prank on the new student?" he asked as his eyes landed on her once more.

She shook her head in response to his question, she'd read previous encounters with humans of his variety and they always tended to confirm before it truly sank in. He was no exception to the rule, it seemed. "This is no prank, Belojevic-senpai, all four of us are devils," she replied as her wings appeared behind her, the wings of her peerage followed suit.

His eyes widened and he gaped at the sight, the previously stoic man having experienced an apparent crash in his mental faculties. A minute passed before he shook his head, having started muttering ' _Jebote_ ' under his breath, the Serbian word for 'Fuck' if her ability was correct. Another minute passed as she saw the hyper-alertness fade away from his features, the human lowering his gaze to his hand as he rubbed the ring on his right hand with his thumb.

He swallowed and took a deep breath, exhaling softly in order to calm himself as he raised his eyes back to the heiress of the Gremory, "Gremory-san, I...I thought your parents were just Satanists, not that I thought that you were devils."

Utter silence descended on the room as she and her peerage stared at the man, one of her eye twitching at his words. He...He thought her parents were just eager Satanists wanting to buck society?

Had she grossly miscalculated the man before her? Had she gone and truly screwed the metaphorical pooch by assuming he was tense because of a prior supernatural encounter? By the Maous, she would never be able to live this one down.

The heiress of the Gremory Clan had let an innocent man know of the moonlit world because she had assumed completely wrong, oh so wrong. She could never let Sona know of her massive fuck up, she would never stop teasing and hounding her about it.

He let out a sigh as he raised a hand towards his ponytail, a sharp tug to the band that held it and his shoulder-length hair flowed free. He swept his hair with both hands, proceeding to re-do his ponytail. Dragojev lowered his eyes once more, brow furrowed slightly in thought. Silence tried to regain its grasp before it was beaten back by the Serb, "I suppose it is my turn to be forthcoming with my end of the bargain and I did promise as such," he began as he resumed rubbing his ring with his thumb.

"Do any of you know of the disaster that occurred at the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport several weeks ago?"

She blinked at the sudden question before she nodded, remaining silent for now. She made it a point to keep abreast of the politics and events going on in the world, and this year seemed poised to be one hell of a year, especially after the previous one. She still had to ask her brother if he knew anything as to why it was such a fucked up year overall. If anyone knew, it had to be him.

"The Tragedy of the Serbs as one reporter had put it, an act of hatred supposedly done by the terrorist organization from the middle east. The very same that claims to be the successor to the Caliph of olden times," he scoffed in disdain, "Dozens of people killed and possibly more injured."

He pursed his lips, his shoulders slouched as he stared at the beautifully crafted coffee table, "I was there for it all and the story they fed the public was a lie," he revealed.

Her eyes widened slightly, so this man was involved in a conspiracy? She mentally shook her head, wanting answers as to where he was leading into, "If it was a false story, who was the one who did such a travesty?"

Dragojev raised his gaze and she was struck by the spark of pain she saw in his eyes, it was only a moment before it faded and left the gunmetal murky in its depths. He smiled, one that was sad and almost as if he had resigned himself to an unknown fate.

"It was done by someone I had never thought would be there," he continued with his answer, "Someone who I now have conflicting opinions of now, a childhood hero of mine you could say."

She hid a wince at that, not even in her most nightmarish dreams had she thought of her childhood hero turning into a monster.

"The Heretic God Constantine XI Palaiologos, the Marmaromenos."

She widened her eyes as she stared at him. Her peerage were doing the same to differing degrees but all were locked on the man who had gone through the most arduous of brushes with the supernatural, especially with Him of all people.

The Marble Emperor, the famous and considered to be the last true Roman Emperor of the Roman Empire. The very Emperor who had gone down in history as having taken off his regalia, who remarked 'The City is fallen and I still live,' and performed one last charge, hidden amongst his men. His daring charge was damn near legendary in Devil society. It was ridiculously hard for a regular human to impress devils but he had done so in such a way that his story was still being told as a fairy tale to children in the Underworld.

Granted, the version told was that a devil had saved him at the last second instead of an angel.

To make it all worse, he had descended down to Earth as a Heretic God of all things, nigh unstoppable divine beings that descended to Earth in rebellion against their legends and mythos, so powerful that only one classification of people were capable of contending with them on equal standing.

One select group of humans; cursed or blessed, called as the bastard children of the Titan of hindsight, Epimetheus. Known as such because they acted without thinking of the consequences, people who would face a Heretic God instead of running away to safety.

Campione.

His smile turned into a frown, "I do not know why it was that day or why the cruel mistress that is life deemed me 'worthy' to bestow upon me a front row seat to meet my childhood hero," he continued as his frown deepened as if it pained him to say that, "And to end him myself."

Her jaw dropped as she openly gaped at him, no sound escaped her lips as her eyes widened further from the revelation.

He was Campione, blessed by Pandora as her adopted children. Granted powers beyond reckoning.

Campione.

A Godslayer.

A Devil King.

A Supreme Ruler of the very Earth and its people.

Campione were capable of forcing the hands of all four Maous to be at their very best if they wanted to stand even a fair chance against their power. Even individually, one of the four Maou didn't have good odds of defeating a Campione by themselves. Such occurrences were rare and when they happened, they were hailed as tremendous victories in spite of the cost it might have taken or how bitter it tasted upon their lips.

Still, how? That question rang through her mind, she hadn't sensed any form of divinity from him and she would never bet on the chance that Sona had been ignorant of that either. For all intents and purposes, he looked and felt like a regular human. If that was the case, could it be possible that he was lying that he was one?

"Ah, I forgot. Do excuse my Authority," he said as he cleared his throat.

" _In Defiance to my enemies, I shall take away their triumph by becoming one amidst my soldiers, as one of many we fight on, and all that remains, in the end, is the brotherhood of steel_ ," his deep voice rang with unbridled power and permanence as she and her peerage now felt the vast power that radiated from him.

Surprisingly, it didn't hurt as she thought it would be due to all Campione being divine in nature and their core, yet it felt more like pressure upon their being as if she had been submerged deep beneath a vast ocean. It felt like a higher power had landed their eyes on her, and sought to discover if she would be found wanting or not.

She swallowed thickly and took stock of her peerage, straining to do so as she did. Such was the unparalleled power Campione had.

Both Koneko and Kiba were struggling, their heads lowered and bodies bent halfway as they struggled against the strain of the pressure. She knew she had to train them harder, there were numerous things that depended on her and she couldn't stroll by and wave her hand at the scenery any longer.

He had thoroughly shattered the idyllic view she had had in Kuoh, and in a way, she felt thankful for the brutal wake-up call. Thankful that it hadn't been a more serious or fatal thing that would have made her stumble or worse.

She then turned her gaze to Akeno…

By the Maou, that woman's cheeks were flush, a hand holding a cheek with half-lidded eyes locked on the one responsible for what she undoubtedly felt right now. She idly noted that her Queen was rubbing her inner thighs just slightly, nearly dared to show it openly. Just had to indulge in her inner sadist at this point.

Well, at least Rias herself could admit that her Queen had own her priorities straight.

The Devil King shook his head minutely and the pressure vanished entirely from the room.

She took a sharp intake of air, she knew she hadn't been the only one to do so. Rias licked her lips and turned her eyes to the Campione, grateful that she hadn't bent to her knees from the sheer pressure she'd felt. She could still feel the divinity that was inside him, it was not harsh as it had been earlier but now it felt gentle and content, at ease.

" **Eternally Hidden even in Death** , it's…" he paused for a moment, his brow furrowed before he clicked his tongue. "It's an Authority that passively hides my divinity and power, effectively hiding me from those capable of sensing such things," he explained to them all.

"Fuck," she muttered in shock, no longer caring about appearance as she boggled on what she and her peerage now knew. She had grossly miscalculated but not in the way she had thought off. She still had been so wrong, now she knew why people kept saying that about assuming things. Rias thought she would never see it first hand, life apparently having decided otherwise and made it so it appeared in the form of the tall man before her.

No wonder she nor Sona hadn't felt anything, with such a divine Authority keeping him hidden from the world. It would allow him to roam wherever he wished without being bothered by the moonlit world, yet that still did not explain why he had been tense and cautious. He was relaxed but yet, he had the air of being unwilling yet resigned to his fate.

She would never assume anything when it involved him ever again or anyone else for that matter, that much she promised herself. When it came to a Campione, all bets were off and she could not risk running around with assumptions.

"I suppose I should reintroduce myself," he said as he jarred her from her thoughts, "My name is Belojevic Dragojev, the Eight Campione, and Slayer of Constantine XI Palaiologos."

His words brought her back once more to the situation at hand as the shock started to ebb away and left her cautious of the man before her, "It is a pleasure to meet you, your Majesty, we-"

"I understand the need of courtesy," he interjected and shook his head, "but you can drop the formality, Rias. I'm not one at all for formality in private with those I've given my trust, you may call me Dragojev or Drago, whichever you prefer," he said her as he leaned back on the couch, truly relaxed for once. "The same goes for all of you," he added as his gaze roamed over her peerage before he nodded to himself.

"Ara ara, such a bold man to use your name without honorifics. Was there something you hadn't told us before, Buchou?" teased her oldest friend with a sly smile on her flushed face, lowering the heightened tension of the room sharply. Leave it to Akeno to know when and how to act, by the Maou she didn't know what she would do without her.

Dragojev rolled his eyes in amusement.

This was a very different side from what he had shown them earlier. Hidden depths to him.

Twin pools of glistening gunmetal met glittering cerulean, "We have shared a great deal of trust between each other, so you are more than welcome to ask any and all questions and I'll do my best to answer them. It is the least I can do for one of the Great Onee-Sama's of Kuoh, no?" he asked as he arched an eyebrow.

He…

He was teasing her and how in the - How did he even know about that on his first day? She paused her train of thought, she needed a line of thought that wasn't going all over the place as she had been earlier from her panicking.

She cleared her throat and nodded, "Alright, the first question. What changed? Earlier you were tense and your body was coiled, ready to strike at any moment. The next you relaxed, unwinding down from whatever had been occupying your mind."

"That is true, I was," he admitted with no hesitation, "The main reason as to why I'm more...at ease now is because I was getting a feel of the Academy, the way of its culture and land, so to speak. Given my experience with the Heretic God, I deemed it necessary to be cautious in my first day at the Academy should more or less encounter another side to the supernatural. It gave me the simple excuse of appearing eager or anxious, the so-called first-day school 'jitters'."

He clicked his tongue and glanced at everyone, or rather their wings, "Devils have a unique feel to me apparently, the opposite of what I had felt when I encountered the Marble Emperor. That specifically is why I had been tense since before I had met Shitori-Kaichou, and why I had been on guard all day," he explained without a missed beat. "However, it was you, Rias, that allowed me the relief of knowing the truth and now that I know, I no longer have to be on guard. For that and granting me peace of mind, I owe you."

She blinked before she dipped her head, "I suppose it is the least I could have done, Dragojev, you're most welcome."

HA! Sona could suck it, a Campione owed her. The heir to the Gremory Clan cheered mentally as she realized the sheer magnitude of what he said, more than likely the Serb had no idea the boon she would have in Devil society by the mere fact that a Campione owed her.

"Thank you, I value my peace of mind highly."

"Now, how do you know that I'm one of Kuoh's Great Onee-Sama's?"

He blinked before he looked to the side, the barest of hints that he was embarrassed showed on his face, "Ah...Well, if one pays attention to their surroundings, one cannot help but overhear quite many an interesting thing," he explained before he raised a fist to his lips, making a show of clearing his throat.

Rias resisted the temptation to smirk.

"It does help that people as a whole tend to gossip, teenagers are not exempt from that," he continued as he turned his gaze towards her, "I learned quite a lot during the tour that Shitori-Kaichou and her two Student Council members had graciously bestowed on me."

Considering how tense and on guard he had been, it now did not surprise her why he knew. He was a very shrewd and observant man, someone who she would have gladly have in her peerage.

Alas, he was a Campione and there was no possibility of that ever happening. In all of the history of the Evil Pieces system, even a full set would not be capable of converting a Campione to a Devil. Not even multiple Queen pieces could contain the sheer divine power they possessed within their core.

She nodded with a soft smile, "Yes, the gossip in Kuoh does tend to go rather lively at times," she quipped, knowing that first-hand. "I'm sorry to be upfront about it but may I ask what are your intentions in Kuoh?" she asked, cutting to the chase as she continued, "I have to ask because the Academy and the surrounding town is considered devil territory held by the Gremory Clan. You can see why I might have concerns regarding a Campione being within the territory."

He snorted before he shook his head, "I much rather prefer you to be blunt and honest with me, Rias, I will not mince words at all with those I trust."

He paused for a brief moment, "As a Campio- No, as a human, I do understand why one would have concerns when a larger than life figure enters one's world," he replied and continued without a missed beat. "Trust me, I thought I had gone insane once I realized just who it was when I met him at the airport," he assured Rias, "As to what I plan on doing here? It's simple enough, it's the execution that only the fates know. Sharpen and hone my power, survive this brand new world I found myself in and graduate to accomplish the promise I made to my sister. I have no plans of usurping your territory or whatever it is that the Devil's think Campione's do."

"If it's any further reassurance, I consider the former Yugoslavian Republics as my territory and we're far away from the Balkans," he added as the corners of his lips quirked into a small smile.

She dipped her head, "Consider me quite reassured. Must be quite the promise to have to lead you all the way here, Dragojev," she said as she felt the remaining caution within her fade away, leaving her somewhat relaxed. She knew well enough about the Campiones and what steps needed to be taken to ensure the safety of her and her peerage, right now, however, this was a rare situation that she was fairly sure Devils only dreamed of in their wildest dreams. There weren't manuals or instructions on this so she was going with her instinct and they hadn't failed her bef- Well, excluding the gross miscalculation she had done earlier twice anyway, they hadn't done wrong by her.

So far, he didn't strike her as one to lie since he had been quite honest with her and her peerage, and he wasn't being hostile with them. That was a plus in her book, minor that it was but showed that he wasn't one to hate others for their differences.

His thumb rubbed the silver ring once more, the dim light of the candles not capable of making it shine in its splendor, "It's a simple promise, to visit Japan and graduate in the land of the rising sun. I made the promise to her when she had mentioned she wouldn't be able to because she had already graduated, so in a way, she'll be doing it with me."

"That's very sweet, your sister is very lucky to have you as her brother," chimed in Akeno, her eyes locked on the tall Serb. Her cheeks were almost clear of her earlier flush, only the barest of hints dotted her ivory skin.

"Little brother?" Koneko asked as she looked at him, a hand reached out to grab one of the cookies that her Queen had placed upon the coffee table. Said cookie was swiftly brought to her lips as she nibbled on it.

He chuckled softly, full of warmth and affection for his sibling, "Yes. I may be taller than her but she's still my big sister. Haven't even been long here and I miss her still."

"I'm sure she'll be proud of what you've accomplished so far and will in the future," Rias said genially, leaning back against the cushions of the couch and crossing her arms under her bosom.

He fell silent for a few seconds in thought before he nodded, "Yes, she would be proud once I tell her in person," he reaffirmed her words.

"You said that you were becoming reacquainted with the Ars Goetia recently. I imagine the why being your brush with the Heretic God and becoming a Campione," the heiress of the Gremory Clan began, leading to her question, "That prompted you to refresh your memory why?"

She had the feeling that his answer would be the one thing that the most powerful Queen of the Underworld approved of, vigilance and knowledge of the enemy.

"Mainly believed that if I had encountered a Heretic God, that maybe it did not mean they would be the only ones. I'll freely admit that in the week that passed after the incident, I had become well acquainted with information regarding supernatural beasts and the supernatural. Admittedly, I had not thought that I would encounter either of the three factions, especially devils of all things in Kuoh but here we are," he explained to her as he swept a hand towards the room, highlighting the reality as it stood.

"A god slayer and devils having tea and talking," he continued, "Some part of me still thinks this is just me having flown the coop and gone insane," he added before the Campione snorted, "Another part thinks it's the start of a bad bar joke."

Rias couldn't resist the giggle that escaped her lips, it did truly paint an absurd picture that before today she would have dismissed as an impossibility. Yet, here they all were.

It seemed, that reality was still stranger than fiction.

"Well, when you put it that way, Dragojev, it does seem kind of absurd," her Knight chimed in, letting out a laugh at the image.

"Are you associated with a Mage Association by any chance?" she asked as she raised her cup, taking a sip of her tea. Ah, it was still good enough to drink. Akeno really did wonders.

Dragojev nodded, "Yes, the Orden Svetog kneza Lazara. Translated it would be the Order of the Saint Prince Lazar. Publicly it's considered to be a dynastic honor held by the Monarch of Yugoslavia, secretly it's a Mage association headed by the very same."

She arched an eyebrow, that was the first association she'd ever heard to be headed by a monarch. The others tended to be trusted advisors of their respective monarchs or countries, in the event of an incident or tragedy that involved the supernatural. It seemed that she wasn't as well versed in the Balkans region as she previously thought, something that she would have to rectify later.

She'd have to admit, the South Slav were rather bold in having their own Monarch lead a Mage Association.

"That's good to hear," she said, taking a moment as she took another sip of her tea, letting it soothe her frayed senses as she dove further into utter relaxation. "Now, I imagine that you're acquainted with the three factions, yes?" she asked.

"Admittedly, only the very basics. The Order compared to other ones is still very young, so their reach and resources are limited for the moment," he replied, "A Great War between three factions, the Fallen, Heaven and the Underworld. A conflict that spanned millennia with a current ceasefire that has lasted for centuries at this point. That's about the extent of it."

Rias gave an appreciative nod, "Before I go over what I know of the supernatural, what are other metaphysical realms that you know?" she asked the Eight Campione.

He furrowed his brow in thought, "The Order did well to inform me of the Domain of Immortality where the gods reside, with the Underworld acting as a gap between where Heretic Gods reside to keep from getting into fights with Campione," he began to line out what he knew. "Officially, their names are Paradiso and Inferno," he continued, "However, given the prevalence of Christianity and its well-known themes, most just call them Heaven and Hell among other variations, each with their different reasons as to why from local mythology."

"These two realms are repositories of humanity's souls, those who have finally passed on from their mortal coil and who are either granted paradise or punishment for their actions during their life. How they are judged…" he trailed off before he shrugged, "If the Order doesn't know, I sincerely doubt the other Mage Associations know any better either."

She nodded to him as Dragojev finished, noting that Kiba was focused on their upperclassman, and she couldn't blame him. Here was one of the infamous Godslayers, a Devil King who's only equal match were other Campiones. A Knight of his caliber would surely want to know more, and knowing Kiba, he would be very gung-ho with using the Campione as a measuring stick in order to improve.

"I am going to go over the Great War, basics of the three factions, and the main points of Devil society and how it functions," she began and gave a quick glance to everyone, her eyes landing on the Campione, her focus centered on him.

He raised an eyebrow but remained silent, heeding her unvoiced request to listen without interruption.

"You were correct in that the Great War involved all three factions. The Grigori, Angels who gave into temptation and Fell. The Underworld lead by the Four Maous, and Heaven with its host of angels and God," she began. "Centuries ago, there was a final battle upon which the original Four Maous fell in battle, the specifics of the battle is unnecessary as, in the end, all three factions retreated from the field of battle to lick their wounds. Shortly after, a ceasefire was officially agreed with."

"That is not to say that there aren't clashes between the three factions, there are between individuals and even then the official leaders of each faction agree to not rock the boat. In spite of the ceasefire, however, all three factions are still at odds with each other," the heiress of the Gremory continued, taking a moment to take a pause and breath.

"Peace between all three seems impossible, so the status quo remains as it is."

A hush of silence tried to creep in before it was squashed by the Crimson-haired Ruin princess, "That said, the notable leaders of all three are as follows: Azazel of the Grigori. Michael, His representative. Finally, the Four Satans."

Dragojev blinked and wisely kept quiet, giving the heiress his undivided attention.

"As I said before, the original Four had fallen in battle and their descendants had risen to follow what their forebearers had intended from the beginning, domination of the world. However, a faction from within rose, one that wanted to prevent the extinction of devils as a species and ensure its survival. The Great War was a costly war for all sides, devils were not excluded from that," she explained to the Campione with a wan smile.

She saw a glint of something rise from the murky depths of gunmetal, with a blink they had been obscured, making it impossible to gleam what she had spotted.

Nonetheless, she continued with the impromptu history lesson, "This dissension caused the spark of a civil war, pitting what remained of the seventy-two pillar families against each other. In the end, the faction that wanted survival won and drove the other into exile. Following their defeat, the names of the former Maous became titles for the new rulers of Devils as we began to rebuild from the edge of extinction."

"In order to do that, one of the Four Maous came up with a system, the Evil Pieces, to replenish the numbers of our species."

She gestured to the chess board on the table, his eyes drifted as they followed and took in the coloration of the crimson pieces.

"The Evil Pieces is based on the very game that you see before you, each piece different in its scope and power. These pieces reincarnate other beings into a devil, inducting them into what we call a peerage with the King being in charge of it. For myself, I am the King and they are part of my peerage."

His brow rose, his lips parted slightly as he tore his gaze from the chess board. His features awash in a mix of awe and amazement. His eyes drifted towards her peerage, the reality of it before his very eyes. The corners of his lips fell downward as he turned back to her, "When you mean reincarnate, you mean from death?" he asked, his voice flat.

Rias let out a sigh and dipped her head, "They are capable of turning others who are still alive into devils, but yes, they are capable of reincarnating those who have died recently into devils."

The digits of one of his hands twitched as he pursed his lips, brow furrowed in slight distaste at what he heard. "I...see. I cannot judge, that is not my domain, nor is it anyone else's even if they are a Campione. Especially when it concerns the survival of a species," he responded as he closed his eyes, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

Her Queen had raised an eyebrow at his words, a genuine and demure smile on her face. She knew why she was smiling and was heartened that out of this, her Queen could possibly have a new friend who would not judge her heritage. She only hoped the very best for her Queen.

"Knowing what I know, there is both good and bad in everything. I cannot judge Devils as a whole based on something I can only assume happens rarely," he said, the implied meaning underlining his statement.

The heiress of the Gremory more than understood it, hell, she was livid that there were Devils that gave the rest a horrible name when all they wanted was to live. That was one of the main reasons why she was going to shake the foundations of Devil society once she was the Head of the Gremory, in spite of the politics and the hell-bent conservatives she was going to drag their society forward.

If she had to kick ass and take names, she would. Her goals and betterment of the very society she was part of would demand nothing less.

"I imagine I don't have to go over who reside in the Underworld and Heaven, yes?" she asked.

"Devils live in the Underworld and His host of angels reside in Heaven. May not be religious much but I still practice Eastern Orthodoxy," he answered in return.

"A Campione who believes in God?" she asked teasingly.

Dragojev had the decency to look sheepish, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck, "Well, when you put it that way. Yes, it does sound a bit absurd."

He cleared his throat, "Since you are a Gremory, I imagine that your father is the current Duke?" he asked, trying to draw attention away from him.

She preened that he did know his seventy-two pillars, "Yes. The Gremory Clan is headed by my father and I am his heir."

The Campione nodded in understanding, "Since this is territory held by the Gremory, would it be fair to say that he effectively is the ruler of this land?"

"Yes, my father is also the Head Administrator for Kuoh Academy but he is very rarely called so he leaves the duty of the day to day running to Director Sakurai."

"Is she a devil as well?"

Rias shook her head, "No, she's not, she's merely aware of the supernatural since it'd be rather hard to not be in her position. Out of the entire faculty, she's the only one who knows the truth."

He hummed in thought, "Makes sense," he mumbled before he exhaled. "Would it be possible for you all to keep the fact that I am a Campione to yourselves?" he asked as his eyes drifted across everyone present. "My Authority already keeps me hidden, I don't want Heretic Gods hearing of me and trying to find me while I'm in the Academy," he added, "That would be a disaster in the making."

The heiress rubbed her chin in thought. She had already thought of the very real possibility of him attending Kuoh, but that would mean keeping a secret from her family and Sona and the rest of her peerage. Still, it was true and if she did keep the knowledge to herself, she would be able to mitigate and keep Kuoh from the worst of it should a Heretic God decide to make an appearance.

Rias had no doubts that she and her peerage would not even warrant a footnote if they clashed against a Heretic God, not as they stood. They were still young and capable of improving, and she would ensure that they would all survive and be able to go toe to toe against all four Maous and win. She cared about her peerage like a family, and family supported each other through thick and thin, good and bad.

She smiled at her upperclassman and nodded, "Consider it a secret held, Drago-kun," she added the honorific teasingly, giving the Campione a wink.

He blinked owlishly at her before he avoided her gaze, lips parted as he tried to say something but seemingly failing at it.

She hid a sly grin behind her hand. So the Campione was flustered by flirting? Could he dare be one of the rare men who had never been involved with a woman? She and Akeno would be teasing him so much.

He swallowed and shook his head slightly, trying to center himself.

Oh yes, he wouldn't survive against their onslaught.

"I-In return," he began with a stutter, licking his lips, "You may consider me an ally, Rias. It is the least I can do since I'll be attending Kuoh."

The Crimson-haired Ruin Princess blinked. D-Did she hear right? It had sounded like he wanted to give her an alliance in return for simply keeping his status as Campione a secret. By the Maous, he kept throwing her off so bad.

"Are you sure, Drago-kun?"

He gave her a firm nod. "Yes. It may not be smart of a Campione to ally himself with the heiress of one of the seventy-two pillars but…" he trailed off and clicked his tongue, "You have been honest with me, you have given me peace of mind, you have given your trust to me."

He fell silent for several moments as his gaze lowered, locked on the coffee table. The Serb closed his eyes and leaned back fully against the cushions of the couch, "As I said before, I am not one to trust easily. You gave your trust by revealing the truth of your nature, that of devils, something that I imagine was not easy given the nature of the moonlit world," he let his words drift into the air as they descended into the room as a blanket, silence covering the room. Gunmetal snapped open, their sights on her as he ripped the silence apart, "Am I correct?"

She hesitated before she nodded reluctantly, "It wasn't an easy decision, I originally thought you had survived an encounter with someone or something that was supernatural. Low and behold, and it had been an encounter with a Heretic God, something I hadn't considered at all given how rare it is for humans to kill them and become a Campione."

The corners of his lips quirked upward into a soft smile, "So, I, in turn, gave you mine by revealing my status as a Campione, in spite of the reality of me being someone who does not trust easy," he said, taking a moment to pause. His smiled twisted for a brief second, the entire expression faded swiftly from his features and he shook his head, "My parents raised me right, my sister would have done unspeakable things to me if I hadn't and I know myself well enough that I would be criticizing myself for not doing the right thing."

"The least I can do for all that you have done for me is for you to consider me a friend and an ally," he finished plainly.

She couldn't resist the smile that bloomed at his words, the heiress giggling a bit. "Well, when you put it that way, how can I refuse?" she asked rhetorically as she nodded. "I think it's fair to say that you're the fastest member the Club has ever gotten, and all on your first day too," she teased.

Rias swept a hand, "Welcome to the Occult Research Club, Drago-kun."


End file.
